So thanksgiving week is upon us, which can be exciting for some and can be dreadful for others.In my family, Thanksgiving was never really something that we celebrated. Being in the US, it seems to be something that everybody partakes in and this year we will all be in San Francisco (where my brother lives) to celebrate.I am looking forward to the holiday since it is all about giving thanks, being grateful for what you have and spending time with family.Holidays can also be challenging as they can bring up feelings of loneliness, old wounding and comparison. This is not necessarily a bad thing...when we confront things that trigger us, we are able to move through them instead of continue to hold onto them.So as you go into this holiday season, look at it as an opportunity to grow and learn, and to release some of things that may have been holding you back this year.Some useful tips to maximize your holiday.Put your phone away - I know, I know it can feel like a 5th limb sometimes but it is robbing you of being present and experiencing things around you. Don't zone out on your phone while at the dinner table with your family. Listen to what they have to say and make eye contact when someone is speaking. Encourage everyone to put their phones away and see how much more the engagement and laughter increases.

Talk about things that matter - if you are anything like me, your family lives in different places and we don't all get to be around each other that often. So when we are, I look at it as an opportunity to really catch up. Take this opportunity to ask the people you love about how they are doing, what they may be struggling with and what goals they need support on reaching.Avoid negative topics - we can probably all agree on the fact that there are a lot of negative things happening in the world. There are also a lot of positive things happening too. Avoid topics that will put you and your loved ones in a bad mood such as politics, natural disasters and gossip. Instead of focusing on the problem, see if you can band together and come up with a solution.Be mindful with this time as it only comes once a year! If holidays bring up negative emotions - that is okay too. You can change them by starting to create new memories.Happy Happy to you and yours.

So last week I had 8 meetings scheduled in a day and 7 of them were moved around or cancelled.

I was pissed! Don't y'all know I am trying to run a business here? To me, one of the utmost signs of respect is respecting someone's time. So I was feeling quite disrespected...

I paused to ask myself what was going on. Yes, part of it is that things change and people in LA can be flaky but I turned the finger around on myself to ask why this may be happening and what was the lesson for me to learn in this situation.

Anyone who knows me personally knows that time is not on my side. Meaning that I am late A LOT. I never do it intentionally or to disrespect someone's time. In fact it is the opposite; I am overoptimistic about the things I need to get done and often misjudge the amount of time it takes me to complete them, leaving myself with little wiggle room.

It is definitely an area of my life that I can be better with and I strive to improve on.

That led me to my conclusion, if I am so casual about other people's time, how can I expect people to be respectful of mine?!

So take a moment to ask yourself - what are expecting of others that you are not delivering on yourself?

Being late might not be your thing, it may be lack of patience, close mindedness, hot-headness or 'inset X'.

The truth is you can't expect other people in your life to provide something for you if you don't possess it yourself. It is often that thing that triggers you the most in others, that you need to improve on. Think of those triggers like looking in a mirror, they illuminate all parts of you - both the good and the bad!

A couple simple steps that will help you work through triggers:

GET REAL: Don't be afraid to ask yourself the hard questions and delve into the hard answers. When we have a physiological or emotional response in the body (ie. anger, frustration, sadness) it just means there is tenderness there. This is information that you can work with. Recognize what the other person is doing that is triggering you and see if you can improve on that quality within yourself.

SHOW UP: Initial change may not be easy but the more you do it the easier it gets. You may not get it right every time but the simple effort of trying makes a huge difference.

ASK FOR SUPPORT: If you are working on something or feeling uneasy - don't be afraid to let the people closest to you know that you feel that way. Sharing how you feel often brings you closer with the people that you love. They may be working on something similar or have tips and pointers to offer you that you will find helpful in your process. ​

So lately I have been thinking, to what and whom do I give my power away to and why?

Is it to the boy who didn’t message me back?The thousands of people I follow on Instagram? The number of likes I get on a photo?The number in my bank account?

Yes, I am guilty of giving a little bit of power away to all of these things. So I decided to take a moment to stop and think about what I’m doing and ask myself why. I realized that I do this, simply because I always have. I do this because society told me I was supposed to look a certain way, dress a certain way, be in a committed relationship by a certain age and make a certain amount of money. Well, I’m calling bullshit on you society, because your rules don’t make me feel so good. And guess what? I have never been a rule follower anyways: in fact, I f*$%ing HATE rules! We all posses a finite amount of power, meaning it is a limited resource. If we give it away to the wrong people, it can be easily depleted. If we give it to the right people, it can grow exponentially. We all have the power to make that choice for ourselves.I can choose to use my power for good, like Glenda the Good Witch, or for evil, like The Wicked Witch of the East (Wizard of Oz, anyone?). I get to decide if I want to give my power away to people and things who don’t deserve it (like that aforementioned boy), or if I want to protect it and give it out mindfully and watch it grow exponentially.I choose the former. ​

But HOW?!

Ok ok, we all know that if we want to change a result then we have to change our action. Here are a couple of tips I use to remember how powerful I really am.

Monitor your screen timeTell yourself that you have specific times that you can go online throughout the day. Creating a structure around social media time will help you honour the limits you set. If you need a little extra help doing this, you can use an app like Sense that will help you set daily limits and notify you when you go over.

Unfollow people who make you feel badOnly follow people who make you feel good and unfollow the people who make you feel bad (even if they are your friends). It is that simple. If someone calls you out or asks you why you unfollowed them you can let them know that you are doing a digital cleanse and it is not personal.

Build CommunityMake a point to connect with people that you love in person. In person connection increases trust and the feeling of belonging. Physical touch causes the centers of the brain associated with reward to activate which help us build stronger relationships. So when that boy doesn’t text you back (or me), it doesn’t matter because you are surrounded by people who you love and trust.

Is it by the number in your bank account, the awards or accolades you have received, the size of your house or the type of car you drive?

These things can be viewed as the ‘standard’ trappings of success, but what does having all of that do for you, really?

Does it make you feel more fulfilled, loved and connected? Does it bring you happiness?

In most instances, the answer to this question is no.

5 years ago, I looked like I had it all. I was working for a family business in fashion, being groomed to take over the company and had a coveted job. I got to travel to exotic places and attend fancy dinners and trade shows. I even got a clothing allowance.

People would tell me all the time how lucky I was, how great I was at what I was doing and what an incredible opportunity I had laid out in front of me.

There was one problem: I was completely miserable.

Instead of listening to my heart, I stayed stuck in what I thought I ‘should’ be doing, on what the outside world deemed as ‘successful.' This inevitably ended up making me sick. I got strep throat 3 times in one year, and if that wasn’t enough of a wakeup call, I broke my foot boarding a flight home from a sales meeting in Brazil.

The reason I am telling you this, is because if you are stuck in something that doesn’t feel quite right to you, you're not alone. Although it may be something that other people want, that does not mean it has to be what you want.

Here is the good news: you can change it! Life is too long to stay stuck doing something daily that you don’t love. Yes, change can be scary but it is ALWAYS worth it in the end.

Today, I measure success by the impact I am making on the world, time spent with friends and family and being in nature. This feels a lot more aligned with my belief system but it took some deprograming to get there.

So, how do you measure success?

If you know you want to make a change but you don’t know where to start (which is totally normal) - apply for a clarity call with me to get you on the right track.

Imagine what your life will look like in a year from now, if you start to make a small change today.

So I recently came back from a trip to NYC to visit friends, and it got me thinking.

Am I where I am supposed to be?

Were the choices that I made the right ones?

Does life really work out the way you think it will?

And the truth is, I don’t really have the answers. I had dinner with a bunch of old friends, and as I heard them speak about their lives, the ups and the downs, the wins and the losses, I was touched to be surrounded by friends who echoed my same concern - are we doing this thing called life right?

And what does doing life ‘right’ even mean?

As I looked around the table, I realized that we were all in different places in our lives. Some friends were single, some married, others with kids. Some in jobs they love and building businesses, others unemployed, some just working to pay the bills. In general, we all had some levels of happiness in some areas, and in other areas were still trying to figure it out.

And as I near another trip around the sun, (I turn 33 on Sunday) I start to get more and more used to the idea of impermanence. The idea that nothing is forever, and that the only thing constant in our lives is change. So, the more present we can be with that which is right in front of us - the happier our existence will be.

As a wellness expert, I have the privilege of coaching clients on a daily basis, and have been able to gain a lot of insight into how the mind works. This ‘fly on the wall’ perspective has led me to draw many conclusions about our thoughts, emotions and how we generally operate, helping me to understand how to optimize everyday life and heal our wounds.

The main conclusion that I reached is that we are a lot more similar than we are different. We all have dreams and hopes. We all compare ourselves to others at times. We all suffer. We all thrive.So as you flow through life and ask yourself the question, am I doing this right? If you follow the list below, the answer is yes.

Be gentle with yourself. - remember yourself as a child. The innocence, the rawness, the vulnerability. How would you treat him or her? Certainly with kindness. So why are you being so hard on yourself? Next time you trip up remember your young face because it is still inside of you.

This too shall pass. - remember that life is about ebbs and flows, ups and downs, triumphs and sorrows. We can’t have the good without the bad, so learn to embrace the tough times too. There is always something to learn.

Set an intention - a great way to know whether or not you are on the right path is to set an intention. This will help you create a roadmap for where you want to go, and you can continually check in with yourself. My girlfriends and I like to do this every new moon (every month) and write it in down in journals. This way we are able to check on where we followed through, and what we still need to put some work towards.

Life happens when we're busy making plans, right? When things go as expected, everything is awesome. But when disappointment happens instead, we're left feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable. Loving the tips offered in this read!

What I’m listening to for inspo:

I'm obsessed with the Goop podcast right now, especially the first episode where GP sat down with Oprah herself. Every word that O said still resonates as golden wisdom. Listen, bookmark, and re-listen! What I’m listening to for motivation:

I'm currently streaming a variety of different beats: "7 Feathers" by Nahko and Medicine for the People, "God's Plan" by Drake and "Black or White" by Michael Jackson. I love keeping a variety of music on my playlist, so I can listen to whatever I am in the mood for!

What I’m drinking to get energized:

Been loving my homemade golden milk lattes these days! I make them with 1 scoop of Organifi "gold" powder, hot water, a teaspoon of coconut oil, and a splash of almond milk blended in my Magic Bullet to make it frothy. What I’m excited about:

Happy Monday to you all. We hope you've had a good couple of weeks. Sorry for our brief absence, we have been a bit busy with travel and moving and other work obligations, but we're back with you all today, hooray!

For today's #MindfulnessMonday post we want to talk to you about the word, "no". One of my (Erinn) yoga teachers taught me that no is a complete sentence. Whether you are saying no to something or someone personally or professionally, no is and should be enough. However, don't you find that too often we feel the need to justify our "no"? That for some reason declining an invitation, an opportunity or even a piece of food seems to require a whole backstory as to why?

And, why is that? When we say, "yes!" nobody seems to need a whole explanation why. And yet, no can be problematic. Well, we are here to tell you that is ok, and more than that, it is important to embrace and own your no. To set boundaries and limits in relationships and even with yourself. We are all about seizing the day and making the most of every opportunity and taking on life with a positive attitude. But, even that has its limits. You cannot be everything to everyone all of the time. You cannot like everything all of the time. You simply cannot say yes all of the time. And that is okay. In fact, it is more than okay, it is necessary and it is not something that you should ever feel bad about. As long as you are respecting yourself and others, you are always allowed to say no.

We are going to take stock of our boundaries this week. We encourage you to do the same - and if you don't want to, no problem!

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We hope it was everything you wanted it to be. Our weekend has actually inspired today's #MindfulnessMonday topic, which is listening to our bodies. How many of us are victims of the "gotta go, gotta move, gotta be productive all the time" phenomenon? We know we are, even on the weekends! We tend to think, great a day without work, so let's make sure we work out, run those errands, meet that friend for brunch and then be sure to do something fabulous in the evening. And all of that can be great. But, sometimes, we just need to chill. And, for us "gotta go" kinda people, this can be a challenge.

So, it is important to find balance. It is important to truly listen to your body and know if you are just maybe being a little lazy, or if you really need a day to lay in bed until 11:30am. This is especially true when it comes to physical fitness and holistic wellness. With social media, it can be easy to succumb to the pressure of #nodaysoff. But, if we really educate ourselves on fitness and wellness, we learn that our bodies NEED rest. Too often though, it takes us getting sick or injured to learn that.

And so, while we may have planned to get that run in before work, or the yoga class in at 8pm, plans can always change. If your body is telling you it is exhausted, listen to it. Take rest. Maybe choose to meditate instead. Or, make yourself a cup of tea. Or, take a nap! Is vacation an option? We have been loving Fresno. Be honest with yourself and the benefits will be greater than the calories you may have burned.

We're trying to listen closely to what our bodies need this week. We encourage you to do the same.

​Happy Monday! We hope you enjoyed your weekends. A fellow yogi recently shared a post on Instagram with the caption, "Calm is a super power" and it totally resonated with us right now, and so that is what we will be talking about on this #MindfulnessMonday.

I think we can all agree that someone telling you to relax when you're stressing it out is potentially one of the most infuriating things ever. And sometimes those people mean well and other times they are intentionally trying to get under your skin. Regardless of intention, it is very annoying, but the rationale behind it does have merit. Freaking out, crying, yelling, stressing are all natural reactions to frustration, stress and just overall things not going our way. But, we need to recognize that it's easy to get anxious. It's easy to lose our sh*t. What's hard is to remain calm and rationale in the face of big life challenges and/or inconveniences. Cultivating and harnessing this sense of calm truly is a super power. And it is not easy to do. We know we can get frustrated by the littlest things like subway delays, bad weather or even not being able to nail a pose on our mat. But, if we can learn to breathe through our aggravation in small moments, we can then learn to harness this power for the bigger moments too.

In this modern age we live in, it's more important than ever to understand mindfulness and how to apply it in your life. Things are dramatically different to how they were even just ten years ago. The internet and social networking have taken up a huge part of our attention. Where we used to digest new information once or twice per day, we now see news stories and friends’ updates from around the world in an endless stream of data.

It's clear a lot of people are addicted to this new development in human culture, which is why mindfulness is so vital and the perfect antidote for feeling overwhelmed, sucked in and drained. Being mindful gives you a personal area that you can enter whenever you wish, away from the hustle and bustle.

Be Mindful So how do you switch off, even just for a few moments in this sea of chaos? Mindfulness can be practiced in a variety of ways, and in fact, you can make almost anything a mindful activity. If you're on the commute to work traveling via trains, buses or walking, grab a coffee or drink you enjoy and take sips as you go about your journey. Focus on the sensations of the liquid touching your lips, entering your mouth and the taste forming. Use all your senses to anchor you in the present moment.

Meditating for 20 minutes each morning before you start your day will help you develop an awareness of your mind activity. Focus is a skill that can be enhanced through meditation, so if you feel flustered and bogged down with too much going on in your head, an effective remedy is to grow your awareness and concentration levels.

Learn to become a spectator of your life. Through watching your thoughts, you begin to see which will benefit you and which will harm you. Become selective as to what mind activity you wish to engage with, and be careful that you only choose positivity. Just because everything is moving fast and rapidly outside of you, it doesn't mean you have to reflect that on the inside. Move slowly; feel every breath and step you take. Leave your phone alone and bask in nature.

Take Advantage of TechnologyIt's important to remember technology is manufactured to make life easier for humans; it wasn't devised for us to be enslaved by it. However, it's apparent that, unfortunately, the latter has become true for a lot of people. If we approach technology from the point of view that it aids us, we can use it to help us become more mindful. There are apps designed for mindfulness and well-being that are proving to be very effective. However, it's important you protect your data.

Setting alerts and reminders on smartphones is actually changing the way people view them, as they're forcing people to become healthier. These alerts usually come to the rescue at most points of the day, whether you're actively using your phone at the time or busy doing something. It's like receiving a nudge from yourself telling you to slow down and be healthful. Using your phone in this way will ensure you take more breaks and look after yourself.

Have any mindfulness tips for busy lifestyles you've found effective? Leave a comment below.

Author bio: Faith is a health and wellness blogger who enjoys keeping up to date with the latest tips and methods available. She also loves teaching others the importance of a balanced lifestyle through a mindful approach.

Faith Macanas

Faith is a health and wellness blogger who enjoys keeping up to date with the latest tips and methods available. She also loves teaching others the importance of a balanced lifestyle through a mindful approach.